Tompkins County Energy Roadmap accepted by the County Legislature:

The purpose of the Tompkins County Energy Roadmap is to evaluate local energy resources and develop scenarios to meet our County’s 80% greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goal and projected energy needs through 2050. The study was conducted on behalf of all residents, businesses and institutions in the community and is meant to help inform decisions regarding Tompkins County government operations as well as the actions of others in the community working to create a new green energy future.

The Tompkins County Energy Roadmap was identified as a priority action in the Tompkins County 2020 Energy Strategy (2010) and was developed over a number of years, beginning with a series of projects by Cornell University graduate students from 2011 to 2013. In 2014 a steering committee was created and Professor Max Zhang from the Cornell School of Engineering was hired to complete the project. The steering committee brought together a group of individuals who represent the breadth of experience, interest and perspectives within the community regarding our energy future. Draft resource potential and scenario chapters were reviewed by the committee and then offered for public review and comment. The draft Energy Roadmap was presented to 18 different community groups, organizations and the public during the summer and fall of 2015. The Steering Committee oversaw completion of the final documents by Professor Zhang, his assistants and staff of the Tompkins County Planning Department and endorses the recommendations for future action.

The Tompkins County Energy Roadmap was unanimously accepted by the County Legislature on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. Before the county accepted the roadmap, several legislators expressed their approval of the plan. "I think this shows that we are leaders," said Legislator Martha Robertson before the legislature's unanimous vote. "It's a very unusual document in the country and in the world, so I think we have an enormous amount to be proud of.”